Machine for grading roads and the like



.June 20, 1933. N E JERSEY 1,915,094

MACHINE FOR GRADING RoADs AND THE LIKE Filed sept. 22, 1928 sheets-sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

June 20, 1933- N. E. JERSEY 1,915,094

MACHINE FOR GRADING ROADS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 22.. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hh ii! ,Iii

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June 20, 1933.

N. E. JERSEY 1,915,094

MACHINE FOR GRADING ROAD'S AND T HE LIKE Filed sept. 22, 1928v s sheets-sheet -5 INVENTOR.

Patented .lune 20, 1933 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NEIL lil` JERSEY, OFABUC'YRUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO W. A. RIDDELL COMPANY, OF

' BUCYRUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO MACHINE FOB GRADING ROADS AND THE LIKE Application led September`22, 192.8. Serial No. 307'652.

The present invention, relating, as indicated, to machines for grading roads and the like, has more particular reference to the tool carrying apparatus of such machines, and its primary object is to provide an improved mechanism for suspending and manipulating the moldboard and blade supporting structure.

Machines of the type to which this inventionrelates are usually provided with apparatus or laterally shifting the moldboard and grading blade, and with independently operated means for raising and lowermg such blade. This blade adjusting system necessitates the employment of a universal coupling betweenthe moldboard hanger and its supporting and adjusting structure, while the weight of the blade assembly makes it necessary to provide some power multiplying device for etecting vertical blade movements. Heretofore these devices have usually consisted of a rather complicated gearing arrangement having parts operated by a hand wheel, or the like, and other yl5 parts connecting indirectly with the blade.

Such mechanism, particularly from a manufacturing standpoint, is objectinable because of the necessity for providing especially designed parts for each side of thermachine and because of its cost and comparative complexity.

My invention,` with the object of improving the means employed for suspending and manipulating the grading blade of an earth workingl machine, provides an apparatus which is simpler in construction than the devices at present in use for the purpose and which has all parts so designed that any aussembled unit may be used on either side of o the machine for controlling either end of the blade, and which has parts that are interchangeable with the similar or correspondling parts of any other unit.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing 15 and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims; theiannexed drawings and the following description settingftorth in detail certain struc- .50 ture embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the princi- .partly elevational view showing the interior arrangement of one of the vertical adjusting assemblies.

In the drawings, and with particular reference to Figs. 1 and 2, my invention is shown 1n association with an earth working machine which consists of a tractor power unit 1 combined with a frame 2, the orewheels of such tractor having been shifted to the front and attached to the converging ends of the frameY members, and the yoke 3 substituted in the normal axle mounting for carrying the torward end of the tractor. At their rear ends the frame members 2 are suitably secured to the differential housing of the tractor and carry an operators platform 4, while forwardly such. members connect with a front axle mounting which embodies or connects with suitable means for steering the wheels 5. A scaritier 6 is pivoted to the front axle mounting and may be vertically adjusted Aor raised and lowered by means of a link 7, through the gearing shown, by turning the hand wheel 8. To the rear of the scariier 6, and secured to the front axle mounting in such a manner as to be free to move laterally and verticallyT is av sub-frame 9, which consists of a central beam 10 and outwardly di- 9G verging braces 11. The beam 10 carries a circle 12 and its rear end is attached to a transverse support 13. The braces 11 are also attached to the support 13. A link 14 connects at one end with the sub-frame 9 and its 95 other and upper end is attached to a transversely movable carriage. this carriage being shifted and the lateral position of the scrape ing. blade changed by means of a screw operating gearing 15 and a hand wheel 16. The 100 I Y scraper blade 17 is detachably secured to the moldboard 18, which, in turn, is adjustably carried by a frame 19 attached in the manner illustrated to the arms 20 which have their upper ends secured to the circle 12. The circle 12 is preferably revoluble about a center pin 21 for changing the Vangle of the blade 17 and can be held in any selected position bypassing a pin or the like through the opening 22, this opening being adapted to register with any one of an arcuate series of holes,in the circle 12. j

For suspending and adjusting the subframe 9, and therefore the grading blades 17 the screws 23 are provided; These screws are connected with theopposite ends of a transverse part secured to the sub-frame 9 through the joints 24 and their upper portions threadably engage with nuts 25 which are revolubly mounted in the pivoted housings 26. Such housings are provided with gudgeons 27, which are mounted in bearings formed between the ends of the forks 28 and the caps 29, and their planes of suspension are preferably at right angles to one of the planes in which movement is permitted by the joints 24. The forks 28, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, are revolubly mounted upon the ends of a transverse member1 l30 carried by the frame members 2. As clearly shown in Fig. 4, the nuts 25 are provided with gears 31 and are positioned between adjustable sleeves 32. A second gear 33 meshes with each of the gears 31 and has a shaft portion 34 which extends .through a bore in one of the gudgeons 27 this shaft terminating in a polygonal shaped end 35. The ends 35 connect with shafts 36 operated by hand wheels 37 ,such wheels being revolved when it is desired to raise or lower the blades 17 and functioning in the indicated manner regardless of the lateral position of the sub-frame 9. The joints 24 and the oscil- Y latably hung housings 26 permit'of -arcuate movement of the sub-frame 9 and yet, as before stated, do not interfere with the opera*- tion of the suspending and adjusting mechanism just described because of the universal Vcouplings provided by the joints 24 and the gudgeons 27, it being understood that the forks 28 may be revolubly mounted, and that the joints 24 are so constructed as to permit of universal movement of the screws j 23 relatively to the transverse part with which they connect. In order that the operator may revolve the wheels 37 in opposite directions and yet produce similar movements of both sides of the blade 17, one of the nuts 25 is preferably reversed so that its gear 31 meshes with the bottom instead of the top part of the gear 33, as shown in Fig. 4, the

` sleeves, 32 being adjusted if necessary to secure proper meshing. This is done because it is more convenient to revolve the wheels 37 in opposite directions when elevating or lowering the grading blade.`

An important feature of my improved blade suspending and adjusting mechanism resides in the nterchangeability of the two units and their corresponding parts. In otherwords, only one stock of the compound parts is required, such parts being so designed that either a right or a left unit can be assembled sincev neither unit has any parts that are not also adapted for use in the other unit. This form of design greatly simplifies manufacturing and makes it lunnecessary to carry specially made right and left-hand parts in stock. The nut 25, as above explained, is the same in each unit, its gear 31 being positioned above or below the gear 33 according to the direction of hand-wheel motion desired for respectively elevating or lowering the blade 17, and the adjusting sleeves 32 are also the same, as are their retaining nuts 39, while the cap plates 40 enable access to the interior of the housings 26 from either side.

From the above description, it will be apparent that the blade controlling mechanism provided by this invention is well adapted for the purpose for which it is intended; ksimple in construction, compact and accessible in arrangement; advantageous in that separate units and the similar parts rof different units are interchangeable; and designed to be inexpensively manufactured and repaired. It willl be understood that the screw-raising and lowering gear may be adapted for direct instead of remote hand wheel control; that, if preferred, other forms of universal couplings such as the ball and socket type may be adopted, especially for the lowter connection between the screw and the blade-carrying frame; and that the entire mechanism may be used for effecting generally similar movements of other tools, such as scariiers, planes, rooters, snowplows, etc.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the structure herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed. y

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention `I1. In an earth `working machine, the combination of avtool, a frame for ,supporting' said tool, and means for'supporting said framef'said means comprising a screw universally connected with said frame, a revoluble nut, ahousing having gudgeons, said nut mounted within said housing means movably connected with said machine, supporting said housing, and a gear associated with said nut adapted for raising and lowering said screw.

2. In a machine of the character described,

Y j the combination of a tool, and means for rais- 'transversely of Said machine, means associatedwith said casing and adapted to be journaled on said member, and means associated with saidcasing for revolving saidY nut. v

3. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a screw, a nut for said screw, means having gudgeons revolubly retaining said nut, and means for supporting said retaining means, said last-named means comprising a forked member adapted for journaling vsaid gudgeons carried by said retaining means.

4. lin apparatus of the character described, the combination of a screw, meansfor elevating said screw, and means for supporting said elevating means, a revoluble member secured to the vbody of such apparatus, said supporting means rotatably supported by said revoluble member.

5. In an earth working machine, the combination of a tool, a screw universally connected with said tool, a nut for raising and lowering said screw, a gear associated with said screw, a second gear meshing with said irst-nameddgearg a universally mounted housing for sai nut and gears, and means 'connectedwith said housing for revolving said v gears and said nut.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a tool, a screw, a nut for raisin and lowering said screw; a gear .connecte with said nut' a second gear meshing with said Erst-name ear; a shaft having one end adapted to receive the gudgeons of said housing.

"9. ln a road grader, the combination of a main frame having a scraper frame connected therewith, y'threaded liitlng rods connected with said scraper frame, a member received in threaded engagement with each lifting rod, supports for said lifting rods `and members mounted :tor universal movement upon said main frame, an operating wheel for each member mounted on said main frame, a shaft connecting such wheel with its complemental member, anduniversal joints in said shafts permitting freedom of movement thereof, when said supports are moved to relatively adjust said scraper frame.

10. ln a machine of the character described,(the combination with a main frame and a tool supported therefrom, of means adjustably supporting said tool with respect to said -frame, said means comprising an extensible link consisting of a plurality of relatively rotatable screw connected members respectively universally connected to said tool and said frame, and means mounted on said :trame independently of said members and connected with one thereof to rotate the same irrespective of the position of said members.

Signed by me, thls 19th day of September,

NEIL E. JERSEY.

for said second named gear; an .amounting for said nut, said gears and said shaft; said mounting having gudgeons extending therefrom; a rotatable member secured to the frame of such apparatus and adapted to receive said gudgeons; and said shaft beingV provided with means for revolving said gear and said nut. v l 7. In an earth working machine, the combination of a tool;- a screw connected with said tool; a nut for raising and lowering Ysaid screw; a gear associated with said nut; a second gear meshing with said first named gear; a housing for said nut and gears; gudgeons associated` with said housing; a shaft journaled in one of said gudgeons and adapted to actuate said second named gear; and rotatable means mounted on such machine adapted to receive ysaid gudgeons.

Y 8. In an earth working machine, the combination of a tool; screws connected with said tool; nuts -for raisingv and lowering said "V screws; means for actuating said nuts; housings for said nuts and actuating means, said housings having gudgeons laociated theretransversely of said machine and suitably supported thereby, said rotatable member with; and a rotatable member extending llo 

